Message from:
Cathy J. Dunwoody  
Office of Human Capital Management
NASA Headquarters  
(202) 358-2451


As you know, NASA is a customer of the Department of Interior (DOI) utilizing DOI's Federal Personnel and Payroll System (FPPS).  Currently, the default setting in FPPS is for all NASA employees to receive a hard copy (i.e., paper) Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).  Not only is this costly for the Agency ($190,000 per year) and we are the only DOI customer with this requirement, but there have been a few reported instances where hard copies of LES have been improperly delivered (e.g., envelopes not sealed, envelopes misrouted by the Post Office, etc.).  Therefore, in order to improve the security of and convenience for the employees' personal information, the Agency has determined that it would be advantageous to all employees to receive their LES electronically through Employee Express at www.employeeexpress.gov .  This will also have the additional benefit of saving the Agency funds which can be redirected to mission critical requirements.  In addition, this will allow an employee to access his/her LES from any computer with the additional ease of printing the LES from any printer.  There is no need for the printer to be a secure printer since the electronic LES does not have an employee's social security number or banking information.  This transition from paper to electronic LES will become effective the third pay period in Calendar Year 2008.

The Agency has established a waiver process for those employees who wish to continue receiving their LES in hard copy format and who meet the following criteria:

  1. No access to an Agency computer with internet service;
  2. No access to a printer which would allow for privacy when printing the LES; or
  3. No access to Employee Express (e.g., an employee under a dual appointment with two different agencies does not have access to Employee Express).


An employee who believes he/she meets one or more of the criteria above must submit a written request for waiver (draft attached) to his/her immediate supervisor.  The request must fully explain the reason(s) a waiver is being sought.  If the supervisor concludes that the request meets one or more of the criteria, the supervisor will sign the request, indicating approval, and provide the approved waiver request to the Center's Human Resources Office for entering into FPPS.  If the request is denied, the supervisor shall note the reason for the denial and return it to the employee.  Denials of a waiver request may be appealed through the administrative or negotiated grievance procedure, as applicable.

An employee in any one of the following situations will be automatically exempt from receiving the electronic LES and will not have to apply for a waiver:

  1. An employee in an office barred from having internet access.
  2. A new hire; such an employee will receive a hard copy LES for the first three pay periods.  Thereafter, the employee will receive the LES through Employee Express.
  3. An employee separated from employment with NASA; such an employee will receive his/her final LES in hard copy.
  4. A group of employees without access to computers; however, the supervisor of the group must provide a list, in writing, of all such employees to the Center's Human Resources Office so that a waiver for each can be entered into FPPS.

An employee who is otherwise automatically exempt but wants to receive his/her LES information electronically rather than by hard copy, can stop receiving the hard copy LES in two ways:  (1) provide a written request to his/her Center's Human Resources Office to discontinue receipt of the hard copy LES; or (2) press the “Hard Copy Off” button on the LES screen in Employee Express.

Attachments:

Changes in the Delivery of Your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)

Use of Employee Express

Request for Waiver of Electronic Distribution of Leave and Earnings Statement

 

December 10, 2007